Fluid-compressor



(No Model.)

F. M. RITES. FLUID COMPRESSOR. No. 570,770. Patented Nov. 3, 1896. n FIE. i H J mvzrrron,

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- pressures of fluid contained in the cylinder pressure device which is adapted to effect the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. RITES, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUID-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,770, dated November 3, 1896.

Application filed September 7, 1895. Renewed Oct To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. RIrEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented or discovered a certain new and useful Improvement in Fluid- Compressors, of which improvement the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient means for positively and automatically controlling the distribution functions of an elastic-fluid compressor under varying conditions of pressure without subjecting the governing mechanism to the disturbing influence of irregular strains usually incident to the operation of such mechanisms, and which is specially adapted for employment in pumps or compressors which are directly connected with a motor, and which is adapted to be operated without necessarily employing counter-shafts or other similar additional parts for this purpose; and to this end m y invention, generally stated,consists in the combination, with a valve-gear, of a pressure actuated governing device which is operative by a reciprocating part of the compressor and by the action of opposing of the compressor and in the reservoir or discharge-passage to vary the functions of the valve mechanism by a variation of the relative time of application or of the periodic operation of an independent and positive force.

My improvement provides a simple, comparatively inexpensive, and efficient means for operating the valves of fluid-compressors, which is specially adapted to be employed in direct-acting compressors in which reciprocating, oscillating, or rotary sliding surface valves are employed. Heretofore such slidin g surface valves have been operated wholly or in part by means of connections to a rotating shaft, which necessitated considerable expense and complication in construction, and which were not applicable to direct-acting pumps or compressors in which no rotating shaft was employed.

My improvement provides a governing opening of the exit or outlet valve or valves when the pressure within the compressorcylinder is substantially equal to the pressure ober 13,1896. Serial No. 608,743. (No model.)

in the outlet-passage or reservoir, in combination with means operated by a reciprocating part of the compressor, such as the piston or its rod, for closing the outlet or exit valve at the end of the stroke, and which is independent of any rotating shaft, whereby the valve-operating mechanism is adapted to be applied to such direct-acting pumps or compressors as have no rotating shaft, but only a direct connection from the motor to the compressor.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

By means of my improvement the modifying influence of the variations of pressure in either the compressing-cylinder or in the reservoir or delivery-passage is exerted through a mechanism of such small size that the clearance thereby added to the cylinder is inappreciable.

The governing device is adapted to control and vary the periodic operation of an independent valve-moving. mechanism, and the governing device is therefore free from the strains to which the valve moving or tripping mechanism is usually subjected, and the functions of the valves are not affected by momentum or irregular friction, as in some other constructions, or by variations in the speed of the compressor.

In'the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is .a side elevation of the compressing-cylinder and valve-gear of a fluid-compressor, showing an application of my improvement; Fig. 2, an end elevation of the cylinder and valve mechanism shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a plan view of a part of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings the opening movement of the outlet-valves of the fluid-compressing cylinder is effected by means independent of and unconnected with the motor or its valve-operatin g mechanism, and the closure of the outlet-valves is efiected by the movement of a reciprocating part or member which is independent of any rotating shaft or similar meansfor operating the valve-gear of the motor.

An oscillating outlet-valve is located at each end of the compressing-cylinder 2, and on the stems 52 of the outlet-valves are secured arms 16 and 16*, each of which is connected by means of a link 78 and a rod 7 9 to a piston 80, fitted to work in a cylinder 81. The movements of the pistons 80 are controlled by valve devices in the valve-casings 82, and as these valve devices, the connections to the casings 82, and the ports or passages in the cylinders 81 are the same for both ends of the compressing-cylinder only those at the left-hand end of the compressing-cylinder have been shown in section.

The casings 82 are connected at one end to the reservoir by means of a pipe 66 and branches 85, and their opposite ends are connected with the ends of the compressing-cylinder by means of pipes or passages (51. A valve 86 in the casing 82 controls the passages 83 and 8% at the ends of the cylinder 81 and is connected with a piston 88 in the casing 82, whichis exposed on one side to pressure in the adjacent end of the compressing-cylinder, admitted through the pipe 61, and on the other side to the pressure in the reservoir, which is admitted through the pipes 66 and 85 and through the interior of the valve 86.

\Vhen the pressure in the compressing-cylinder slightly exceeds the pressure in the res- I ervoir, the small piston 88 in the casing 82 will move the valve 86, so as to uncover the port 83 at the outer end of the cylinder 81, and fluid from the reservoir will be admitted to the cylinder 81 and act on the piston 80, so as to move it in direction to open the outletvalve. At the same time the port Si in that end of the cylinder 81 toward which the piston is moving will be open to the space between the two ends of the valve 86, and any fluid in that end of the cylinder 81 will escape through the discharge or exhaust pipe 89, which opens to the atmosphere. As shown in Fig. 1, the piston 80 has made a part of its stroke to the right, and the arm 16 is moving in direction to open the outlet-valve.

On the stems 50 of the inlet-valves are secured arms 12 and 12, which are connected at their lower ends by a rod 91 so that the two arms move together, and when one of the inlet-valves is opened the other is closed.

Tappets 90 and 90 are pivoted to the arms 16 and 16, respectively, of the outlet-valves, and the upper ends of the tappets are normally held against stops 91 and 91 by means of springs 92 and 92.

As the piston 80 and the arm 16 move to the right the lower end of the tappet 90 comes in contact with the upper end of the arm 12 on the stem 50 of the inlet-valve and is moved upward against the resistance of the spring 92 until the lower end of the tappet passes to the right of the arm 12, when the lower end of the tappet will drop down and the upper end will again be pressed against the stop 91.

In the positions of the parts shown in Fig. l. the main piston in the compressing-cylinder 2 is moving to the left, the inlet-valve at the left-hand end of the compressing-cylinder is closed, and the movement of the tap- 7 pet 90 over the end of the arm 12 does not cause any movement of the arm 12 or of the inlet-valve.

The small valve 86 in the valve-casing S2 is connected, by means of a rod 87, with alever 93, which is pivoted to a bracket 9% on the head of the compressing-cylinder2, and which has secured to it a small rod 95, which extends through the head of the cylinder 2 into the path of the main piston in the compressing-cylinder, so that the rod will be pushed outward just before the main piston reaches the end of its stroke. When the rod 95 is pushed outward, the movement of the lever 93 and the rod 87 shifts the small valve 86, so as to close the port 83 at the outer end of the cylinder 81 and to open the port 83 at the opposite end. At the same time the port 84 at the outer end of the cylinder 81 will be opened to the space between the ends of the valve 86 and the fluid which had been admitted from the compressing-cylinder will escape through the exhaust-pipe S9. The same movement closes the port 81 at the inner end of the cylinder 81.

\Vhen the port 83 at the inner end of the cylinder 81 is uncovered, fluid from the reservoir will enter the cylinder 81, move the piston 80 and the arm 16 to theleft, and close the outlet-valve at that end of the cylinder 2. When the piston 80 and the arm 16 begin their movement to the left, the lower end of the tappet 90 is to the right of the arm 12, and as the movement continues the lower end of the tappet is moved into position below the upper end of the arm 12, so that the tappet comes in contact with the upper end of the arm 12 and moves it to the left. This movement of the arm 12 is effected during the latter part of the movement of the piston 80 and the arm 16 and opens the inlet-valve at that end of the cylinder immediately after the closing of the outlet-valve.

The movement of the arm 12 which opens the inlet-valve to which that arm is secured closes the inlet-valve at the opposite end of the compressing-cylinder, to which the arm 12 is secured, the movement of one arm being transmitted to the other through the rod 91 At the right of Fig. 1 the arm 16, the tappet 90 and the arm 12 are shown in full lines in the positions which they occupy at the end of the movement which closes the outlet-valve and opens the inlet-valve at that end of the cylinder. Then the upper end of the arm 12 is moved to the left by the tappet 90, the tappet 90 at the opposite end of the compressing-cylinder is in position to permit the upper end of the arm 12 to pass under it and move into position to close the inletvalve to which it is secured. The dotted lines at the rightof Fig. 1 show the positions occupied by the upper end of the arm 12 when the inlet-valve at that end of the cylinder is closed and the positions occupied by the arm 16 and tappet 90 when the out let-valve is wide open. When the main piston in the compressing-cylinder 2 is moving away from either end of its stroke, and is out of contact with the rod 95, the springs 96 within the valve-casing 82 tend to return the valve 86 to its middle position.

It will be seen that with the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the time of opening of the outlet-valves depends only on the pressure in the compressing-cylinder, and that any necessary variation in the time of opening the outlet-valve is effected immediately and directly without the necessity of making an adjustment of the mechanism during one stroke which is only effective on the next stroke.

I claim as my in vent-ion and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with a compressor-cylinder, of a governing device for the control of the release of fluid from the cylinder, and a direct connection to the reciprocating parts of the compressor for controlling the closure of the outlet-valve, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a compressor-cylinder, in a governing device for controlling the release of fluid from the cylinder, of a chamber, communications from the chamber to the interior of the compressor-cylinder and to the outlet-passage, or reservoir, of the compressor, a piston in the chamber which is exposed on opposite sides to the pressures in the cylinder and in the outlet-passage, or reservoir, a piston connected to the outletvalve, and avalve in the chamber connected to the first-mentioned piston and controlling the action of fluid-pressure on the last-mentioned piston, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the outlet-valve of a compressor-cylinder, of a cylinder, a valve-operating piston in the cylinder which is connected to the outlet-valve and which is adapted by its movement to open and close the outlet-valve, a connected piston and governing-valve located in a chamber which communicates with the interior of the compressorcylinder and with the outlet-passage or reservoir of the compressor and which controls the distribution of fluid to the cylinder of the valve-operating piston, and direct connections from the governing-valve and its connected piston whereby they may be operated by a reciprocating part of the compressor to close the outlet-valve, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a compressor-cylinder, of an outlet-valve, a governing device operated by the opposing pressures in the cylinder'and outlet-passage or reservoir of the compressor, for controlling the opening of the outlet-valve, and a connection from the governing device which is adapted to be operated by the piston of the compressor, substantially as set forth.

5. In an elastic-fluid compressor, the combination, with a positively-operated valve, of

a piston for actuating thevalve, a governingpiston subjected to opposing pressures from within and without the compressing-cylinder, and controlling the distribution of fluid by which the valve-actuating piston is operated, and an elastic cushioning device ofiering a yielding resistance to movement of the governing-piston, substantially as set forth.

6. In an elastic-fluid compressor, the combination, with a positively-operated valve, of a piston for actuating the valve, a governingpiston subjected to opposing pressures from within and without the compressing-cylinder, and controlling the distribution of fluid by which the valve-actuatin g piston is operated, and springs ofiering a yielding resistance to movement of the governing-piston, substantially as set forth.

7. In an elastic-fluid compressor, the combination, with the outlet-valves of the compressing-cylinder, I of an independent valveoperating mechanism for opening and closing the outlet-valves, and inlet-valves at opposite ends of the compressing-cylinder which are simultaneously operated by the independent valve-operatin g mechanism, substantially as set forth. p

8. In an elastic-fluid compressor, the combination with an outlet-valve of the compressing-cylinder, of an independent valveoperating mechanism for closing the outletvalve and simultaneously operating the inletvalve at the same end of the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

9. In an elastic-fluid compressor, the combination, with an outlet-valve of the compressing-cylinder, of a valve-operating mechanism connected to the outlet-valve, but disconnected from the inlet-valves, connections between the inlet-valves at opposite ends of the compressing-cylinder, and means whereby the valve-operating mechanism closes the outlet-valve and opens the inlet-valve at one end of the compressing-cylinder, and by the same movement closes the inlet-valve at the opposite end of the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

10. In an elastic-fluid compressor, the combination, with the outlet-valves at opposite ends of the compressing-cylinder, of separate valve operating mechanisms connected to each of the outlet-valves, connectedinletvalves at opposite ends of the compressingcylinder which are disconnected from the valve operating mechanisms, and means whereby each of the separate valve-operating mechanisms alternately operates both of the inlet-valves, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANCIS M. RITES;

Witnesses:

O. L. MALCOLM, J. H. BELL. 

